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Man Belong Mrs Queen: Adventures with the Philip Worshippers
As a bookish child growing up on Merseyside in the 1980s, Matthew Baylis identified with the much-mocked Prince Philip as a fellow outsider. He even had a poster of him on his bedroom wall. Years later, his Philip-worship long behind him, Baylis heard about the existence of a Philip cult on the South Sea island of Tanna. Why was it there? Nobody had a convincing answer. Nobody even seemed to want to find one. His curiosity fatally piqued, the author travelled over 10,000 miles to find a society both remote and slap-bang in the shipping-lanes of history. A place where US airmen, Lithuanian libertarians, Corsican paratroopers and Graeco-Danish Princes have had as much impact as the missionaries and the slave-traders. On the rumbling slopes of this remarkable volcanic island, banjaxed by daily doses of the local narcotic, suffering from a diet of yams and regularly accused of being a divine emissary of the Duke, Baylis uncovered a religion unlike any other on the planet. Self-deprecating, hilarious and -- almost incredibly -- true, this is travel writing at its horizon-expanding best.
276 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2013
5 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Baylis
9 books3 followersMatthew Baylis also known as M.H. Baylis and Matt Baylis was born in Nottingham in 1971, and grew up in Southport, Merseyside.
His chief literary influences were, he says, Coronation Street and National Geographic magazine. The soap opera gave him a love of stories, particularly stories about real people in very specific times and places. National Geographic taught him to see the whole world, near and far, as an exotic tribe.
His love of both has taken him to some interesting places: after a spell as a storyliner on 'EastEnders', he set up soap operas in Cambodia and Kenya, and spent time on the remote Pacific island of Tanna, Vanuatu. He is also the only British scriptwriter ever to have had a film shown at the Pyongyang International Film Festival. He speaks Bislama pidgin badly, but not as badly as he speaks Romany.
He writes a daily tv review column in the Daily Express, and he lives in Haringey, the London borough so beloved of his fictional hero, Rex Tracey. He would quite like to have been a Dean Martin style club crooner, but really, his only great ambition was to write crime novels. Which he does.
His all-time favourite authors are : Emanuel Litvinoff, Simon Brett, Evelyn Waugh and John le Carre.
If he was stranded on a desert island, he'd require all the above, plus every episode of Hill Street Blues, Cagney and Lacey, Minder and Brookside on dvd.
His chief literary influences were, he says, Coronation Street and National Geographic magazine. The soap opera gave him a love of stories, particularly stories about real people in very specific times and places. National Geographic taught him to see the whole world, near and far, as an exotic tribe.
His love of both has taken him to some interesting places: after a spell as a storyliner on 'EastEnders', he set up soap operas in Cambodia and Kenya, and spent time on the remote Pacific island of Tanna, Vanuatu. He is also the only British scriptwriter ever to have had a film shown at the Pyongyang International Film Festival. He speaks Bislama pidgin badly, but not as badly as he speaks Romany.
He writes a daily tv review column in the Daily Express, and he lives in Haringey, the London borough so beloved of his fictional hero, Rex Tracey. He would quite like to have been a Dean Martin style club crooner, but really, his only great ambition was to write crime novels. Which he does.
His all-time favourite authors are : Emanuel Litvinoff, Simon Brett, Evelyn Waugh and John le Carre.
If he was stranded on a desert island, he'd require all the above, plus every episode of Hill Street Blues, Cagney and Lacey, Minder and Brookside on dvd.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 21, 2015
Memoir set in Tanna, South Pacific (fascinating insights into the history of the islands)
Set on Tanna, an island in the South Pacific, this fascinating book is an exploration of what it is like to visit, and stay with, people whose culture, customs and way of life are so very different to one’s own experiences.
When Matthew Baylis (the author) was 11 years old he was fascinated by Prince Philip who visited his home town of Manchester at that time. Adolescence interrupted this “Duke worship” until a BBC film shown at his University re-ignited it which resulted in him visiting Tanna to learn more about the inhabitants who worship Prince Philip.
Baylis’ lack of knowledge of customs, the local language (he learnt the wrong one before he set out) and local views on polite behaviour lead to some hilarious mistakes being made. For example on a cold wet day Baylis remarks that he has brought the English weather with him, resulting in the Chief being mightily impressed with Baylis’ powers of magic, and then there is the Chief’s friendship with Ken Dodd – really?? These stories are intertwined with fascinating insights into the history of the islands and the incursions onto it by Europeans, and some delightful anecdotes about Prince Philip himself.
Baylis risks much to learn about these people but presents his story in a witty and light hearted way, only giving hints about how hair raising it was at times. He always remains respectful whilst describing the people of the island and their belief systems, and even hardly has a bad word to say about the endless conversations about yams, and the unfortunate effect that the eating of so many has on his digestive system.
Trying to ascertain the beginnings of the Prince Philip worship proves difficult, perhaps not helped by the frequent drinking of the local root based narcotic, and the culture that everything stops (seemingly quite often) for a party. Baylis appears to have had little interaction with the women of the island, so there is little mention of their customs and ways. (emma)
There is a useful glossary of words at the back of the book, and a list of further reading on many of the subjects included – such as Cargo Cults and the John Frum cult.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, an armchair insight into an island I shall almost definitely never visit, and a way of life very different to my own. Most of the book is written in a light, easy to read fashion, however there were a few moments where I lost interest, but these were quickly got through, and perhaps are inevitable when someone is trying to find out the secrets of a people who may not be so keen to give the information away. After enjoying Baylis’ tales of his stay on the island, I was particularly pleased to find he had ended the book with his own thoughts on why Philippism had come about, and the positive outcomes of such a cult. And then there is a final laugh in the last paragraph of the book.
A great book to give (or receive) as a gift.
This review first appeared on our blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/man-belong...
Set on Tanna, an island in the South Pacific, this fascinating book is an exploration of what it is like to visit, and stay with, people whose culture, customs and way of life are so very different to one’s own experiences.
When Matthew Baylis (the author) was 11 years old he was fascinated by Prince Philip who visited his home town of Manchester at that time. Adolescence interrupted this “Duke worship” until a BBC film shown at his University re-ignited it which resulted in him visiting Tanna to learn more about the inhabitants who worship Prince Philip.
Baylis’ lack of knowledge of customs, the local language (he learnt the wrong one before he set out) and local views on polite behaviour lead to some hilarious mistakes being made. For example on a cold wet day Baylis remarks that he has brought the English weather with him, resulting in the Chief being mightily impressed with Baylis’ powers of magic, and then there is the Chief’s friendship with Ken Dodd – really?? These stories are intertwined with fascinating insights into the history of the islands and the incursions onto it by Europeans, and some delightful anecdotes about Prince Philip himself.
Baylis risks much to learn about these people but presents his story in a witty and light hearted way, only giving hints about how hair raising it was at times. He always remains respectful whilst describing the people of the island and their belief systems, and even hardly has a bad word to say about the endless conversations about yams, and the unfortunate effect that the eating of so many has on his digestive system.
Trying to ascertain the beginnings of the Prince Philip worship proves difficult, perhaps not helped by the frequent drinking of the local root based narcotic, and the culture that everything stops (seemingly quite often) for a party. Baylis appears to have had little interaction with the women of the island, so there is little mention of their customs and ways. (emma)
There is a useful glossary of words at the back of the book, and a list of further reading on many of the subjects included – such as Cargo Cults and the John Frum cult.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, an armchair insight into an island I shall almost definitely never visit, and a way of life very different to my own. Most of the book is written in a light, easy to read fashion, however there were a few moments where I lost interest, but these were quickly got through, and perhaps are inevitable when someone is trying to find out the secrets of a people who may not be so keen to give the information away. After enjoying Baylis’ tales of his stay on the island, I was particularly pleased to find he had ended the book with his own thoughts on why Philippism had come about, and the positive outcomes of such a cult. And then there is a final laugh in the last paragraph of the book.
A great book to give (or receive) as a gift.
This review first appeared on our blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/man-belong...
December 21, 2016
It's taken me a long time, but mainly due to moving house, work being busy and small people having birthdays, along with illness, travelling and generally not having very much time for reading.
I did enjoy it, Matthew comes across as a well meaning, if slightly bumbling Anthropologist, and I love some of the concepts in the book. That life isn't necessarily richer because you earn lots of money and own lots of material possessions, but having little, with no stress and just being happy is a richer existence.
That said, I'm not about to drop everything and go and live on an island in the south Pacific where they eat sweet potato to excess, and I like sweet potato.
If I'm honest, I enjoy books like this more because I will never go to Tanna, nor experience local customs, nor kava!
It was rather hard going in parts though, and I was a little confused occasionally about what was going on, the was a mix of information, from multiple sources that wasn't as clearly laid out as I would have liked.
It was laugh out loud funny, moving and interesting though.
I did enjoy it, Matthew comes across as a well meaning, if slightly bumbling Anthropologist, and I love some of the concepts in the book. That life isn't necessarily richer because you earn lots of money and own lots of material possessions, but having little, with no stress and just being happy is a richer existence.
That said, I'm not about to drop everything and go and live on an island in the south Pacific where they eat sweet potato to excess, and I like sweet potato.
If I'm honest, I enjoy books like this more because I will never go to Tanna, nor experience local customs, nor kava!
It was rather hard going in parts though, and I was a little confused occasionally about what was going on, the was a mix of information, from multiple sources that wasn't as clearly laid out as I would have liked.
It was laugh out loud funny, moving and interesting though.
December 5, 2013
To be completely honest, I did not expect to enjoy Man Belong Mrs. Queen as much as I did. My curiosity was piqued by the book’s subject: an investigation into the baffling practices and customs of a Melanesian tribe in the Pacific state of Vanuatu that worships Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, as their god. Knowing that, I expected a silly book with a touch of condescension at the expense of the natives. However, Matthew Baylis tells the story of his time among the “Philipists” with humor, affection and respect. This touching and thoughtful travelogue is one of the best I have read recently.
June 3, 2014
I know nothing about anthropology and I loved this. Very well observed and funny but showed respect I think for the people of Tanna by showing their good and bad sides. Very good.
January 2, 2020
Great subject matter, but poorly written
I picked this book up in a charity shop, as I'd been talking to someone about cargo cults just a few days earlier. I'd heard about Philip worshippers when I studied anthropology about 25 years ago, so I was looking forward to finding out a bit more about it, and how it had evolved in recent years. The cover, blurb and contents list promised an amusing, light read. Unfortunately, despite my keen interest in the subject matter, I have only managed to make it 3/4 of the way through the book as the structure is non-existant, the style of writing veers around from humorous to historical narrative to travel diary and everything in between. There are numerous instances of clanging insensitivity on the part of the writer, and at no point do you feel he has really formed any kind of empathetic bond with his hosts. Initially, I assumed it was a first attempt at writing by a gap-year novice, and was surprised to discover on the back flyleaf that Matthew Baylis is in fact a professional writer with years of experience. Perhaps he is better at script-writing.
I picked this book up in a charity shop, as I'd been talking to someone about cargo cults just a few days earlier. I'd heard about Philip worshippers when I studied anthropology about 25 years ago, so I was looking forward to finding out a bit more about it, and how it had evolved in recent years. The cover, blurb and contents list promised an amusing, light read. Unfortunately, despite my keen interest in the subject matter, I have only managed to make it 3/4 of the way through the book as the structure is non-existant, the style of writing veers around from humorous to historical narrative to travel diary and everything in between. There are numerous instances of clanging insensitivity on the part of the writer, and at no point do you feel he has really formed any kind of empathetic bond with his hosts. Initially, I assumed it was a first attempt at writing by a gap-year novice, and was surprised to discover on the back flyleaf that Matthew Baylis is in fact a professional writer with years of experience. Perhaps he is better at script-writing.
September 24, 2021
An interesting read but sadly it did not really capture my full attention.
The story was a bit laddish in its telling and the actual historical analysis of how Phillipism came about was a bit of a muddle and hard to follow. Lots of names and dates were dumped onto the final pages as Baylis made a run for it after getting a bit fed up with the life of Man Tanna. He seemed to have a lot of empathy for the people and was aware of his own clumsiness in his dealings with them, but he goofed up then didn't really make amends. Communications were clearly not easy and misunderstandings abounded and ultimately that is the story of the Philip Worshippers...A cult that has come about as a result of much confusion and misinterpretation. Of white westerners striding in to the Pacific realms on their white steads with ideas of 'educating' the black natives and those natives trying to make sense of it using the age old customs and rivalries that they have lived by for generations.
The story was a bit laddish in its telling and the actual historical analysis of how Phillipism came about was a bit of a muddle and hard to follow. Lots of names and dates were dumped onto the final pages as Baylis made a run for it after getting a bit fed up with the life of Man Tanna. He seemed to have a lot of empathy for the people and was aware of his own clumsiness in his dealings with them, but he goofed up then didn't really make amends. Communications were clearly not easy and misunderstandings abounded and ultimately that is the story of the Philip Worshippers...A cult that has come about as a result of much confusion and misinterpretation. Of white westerners striding in to the Pacific realms on their white steads with ideas of 'educating' the black natives and those natives trying to make sense of it using the age old customs and rivalries that they have lived by for generations.
July 20, 2022
This is an odd hybrid book of an anthropological exploration of the Prince Philip cult on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu and a rollicking travel book. Hidden among the odd accounts of his interactions with the island's residents are bits of historical/anthropological research about Tanna's history and the presumed origins of the Philip cult. Throughout the story are woven tidbits about the author's own admiration of Prince Philip, which he was often ridiculed for in childhood and early adulthood. The last few pages include his personal reflections and analysis of the Philip cult and its relationship to our first world civilization.
November 16, 2018
A quirky story about something I had heard about but never taken the time to find out more. Worth a read if you want to hear some strange views from a far-off land about your own people.
April 18, 2019
Genuinely humorous and insightful in understanding a different culture and the human nature we have in common.
August 3, 2021
It's an interesting subject but I wasn't engrossed by this book.
April 1, 2024
A bit disappointing - like a commissioned magazine story on a destination where nothing met expectations but the commission had been paid so the writer had to plough ahead and make the beat of a bad job. Am going to Vanuatu in June anyway, despite this book, certainly not because of it.
dnf
January 10, 2014BBC book of the week
January 13, 2016
This is a very clunky book with two voices from the same author. As Baylis tells the story of the Philip Cult and the Islands he slips from his personal observation into the history he has researched. His historical retelling is pacy and well written, his personal observation apparently aims for the likes of Gorman and Wallace and falls somewhat short, lacking in style and humour.
The book took me a very long time to finish because it simply was hard to read. Not be because of difficult words or small print, simply because it was hard to pick up again and other books in the mean time bumped it down the list.
It is a shame because it is fascinating, the story of the island, the 'cult' and indeed the characters Baylis met. It is just not as well written as I would have hoped.
The redeeming feature is the final chapter, in drawing his conclusions and summarising all he has researched and seen Baylis shows a keen observational eye and astute ability to make connections. This was missing from the previous chapters which longed for us to love the author and find him hilarious, rather than mildly amusing.
The book took me a very long time to finish because it simply was hard to read. Not be because of difficult words or small print, simply because it was hard to pick up again and other books in the mean time bumped it down the list.
It is a shame because it is fascinating, the story of the island, the 'cult' and indeed the characters Baylis met. It is just not as well written as I would have hoped.
The redeeming feature is the final chapter, in drawing his conclusions and summarising all he has researched and seen Baylis shows a keen observational eye and astute ability to make connections. This was missing from the previous chapters which longed for us to love the author and find him hilarious, rather than mildly amusing.
October 28, 2014
It's taken me a long time, but mainly due to moving house, work being busy and small people having birthdays, along with illness, travelling and generally not having very much time for reading.
I did enjoy it, Matthew comes across as a well meaning, if slightly bumbling Anthropologist, and I love some of the concepts in the book. That life isn't necessarily richer because you earn lots of money and own lots of material possessions, but having little, with no stress and just being happy is a richer existence.
That said, I'm not about to drop everything and go and live on an island in the south Pacific where they eat sweet potato to excess, and I like sweet potato.
If I'm honest, I enjoy books like this more because I will never go to Tanna, nor experience local customs, nor kava!
It was rather hard going in parts though, and I was a little confused occasionally about what was going on, the was a mix of information, from multiple sources that wasn't as clearly laid out as I would have liked.
It was laugh out loud funny, moving and interesting though.
I did enjoy it, Matthew comes across as a well meaning, if slightly bumbling Anthropologist, and I love some of the concepts in the book. That life isn't necessarily richer because you earn lots of money and own lots of material possessions, but having little, with no stress and just being happy is a richer existence.
That said, I'm not about to drop everything and go and live on an island in the south Pacific where they eat sweet potato to excess, and I like sweet potato.
If I'm honest, I enjoy books like this more because I will never go to Tanna, nor experience local customs, nor kava!
It was rather hard going in parts though, and I was a little confused occasionally about what was going on, the was a mix of information, from multiple sources that wasn't as clearly laid out as I would have liked.
It was laugh out loud funny, moving and interesting though.
July 7, 2014
A quirky trip and mind bender. We all live in balance and it takes the author a while to grasp this concept. It is a mistake to think people will just unroll their deepest myths and beliefs just because you ask for it. Not a spoiler but the last two chapters wrap it up & the others make you laugh along with the author. It would help to know abit about the area before just diving in! All that said it a new favorite.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews